Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-19

AN ANNkcEi0ATAON COCRIkD-4ETHODS OF EXECITs
ING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS cRrrIcrsED-rHE POS
eiBfLrTr OF PROVIDING FOR DRAW NOT coNsID-
xR1D IN THE WORK OF RECONSTRUCTION
STAR reporter asked Col Hams to-day about
the delay In reconstructing the Aqueduct bridge,
which Senator Ingalls, in an interview In Satur-
days STAR, regards As inexcusable. al have Just
sent letter to Senator Ingalls, on that subject "
said COL Hafns. "and in it I cand1dly acknowl-
edge the delay, but ask him TO make an investiga-
tion as to the causes. Iplace the blame where It
rightly belongs, primarily on the unsatisfactory
system OF awarding Government contracts to the
lowest responsible bidder. don't mean to intimate
that the contractors in this instance have proved
irresponsible The company is one Of good stand
Ing ana was highly recommended by Senator
sherman and others OF prominence. They did not
have as great facilities for executing the work with
themselves have been delayed in procuring mate.
nal know that they had . big contract with
the Morse Iron Works when they were burned
complete the masonry work promptly also
delayed them. the contractors, however,
can c; n, speak for themselves. l only want 70
sary delay. am not In any way responsible for
the delay. There was clause In the deficiency
Dill providing for draw in the reconstructed
but can guess pretty well The petitioners who
asked the board OF engineers to recommend a draw
were OF sufficient prominence and influence to
or omitted anything with view OF eventually Sc
curing draw In the bridge.
COL HAMS RECOMMENDATIONS.
'1 believed, when made my report on the 10Th
of last January, that draw should be placed In
the bridge, and still believe that 1t should have
been.
"Here is what said on that subject, continued
Col Hams, opening some papers: If the draw and
certain repairs to the piers be omitted and an
earthen embankment be substituted for the iron
trestle approach to the south end the work can be
done for about Sl05, 700. The question Is, shall
the money be expended In reconstructing the
or shah the present ' structure @ re
does not appear to i have been contemplated by BY
that there would be no Just reason for delay on
this ground On the oath OF January the board OF
engineer onlcerS consisting OF Capt. Merrill and
ject
IN FAVOR OF DRAW,
and expressed the opinion that IL Congress should
deem 1t advisable TO make an appropriation before
the 4th OF March the plans Of reconstructing the
bridge could be altered accordingly without any
expense or trouble.
oBEYING ORDERS
'On the Sd Of February, however. I was ordered
by the Secretary OF War to reconstruct the bridge
without contemplating draw. obeyed orders,
and to this day have never taken the subject of a
draw into consideration. The work OF reconstruc-
the draw would have to be built, II authorized.
and ever since early in June IL would have been
impossible 10 provide for draw without eXten-
sive alterations and expense. The work could
have been so arrange1 as to leave the draw part
until later, but 1t was not
I WOULD NOT PERMIT IT.
I was approached with request that the SOUTH
ern end OF the bridge be temporarily repaired by
which could be removed at q cost OF
only a couple OF hundred dollars when the draw
Qh hQ mr. Inf huf Tatp pnl,a catlx
refused to consider any such proposition. and re-
Qulred the contract to be executed Just II there
never had been a thought OF inserting draw in
the bridge. The delay complained OF was partly
due TO the actions OF the very people who are now
making the fuss They asked that the bridge be
inspected by q bridge expert TO see II IL could
not be opened to public travel before repaired
The secretary granted their request. and = fort
nights delay Was ths result. only hope Senator
ingalls, will investigate the whole matter, for 1t
might lead to some much-needed changes In the
methods OF making and executing Government
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